Singapore Airlines Flight Diverted to Rockhampton Due to Cabin Smoke

Singapore Airlines (SIA) flight SQ236, which was en route from Brisbane to Singapore, was diverted to Rockhampton Airport in Queensland on November 11 after smoke was detected in the cabin. The flight took off from Brisbane International Airport at 2:32 PM local time and was scheduled to arrive at Changi Airport at 8:25 PM the same day, according to SIA’s flight status tracker.

The aircraft landed at Rockhampton at approximately 4:09 PM local time, with all 289 passengers disembarking without incident, an SIA spokesperson confirmed. The airline later updated that the landing occurred at 4:15 PM local time.

“We are providing our customers with all necessary assistance, including on-ground refreshments, arranging for a relief flight and rebooking onward travel where necessary.”Singapore Airlines spokesperson

Passengers reported that cabin crew began checking overhead bins and that faint smoke was visible, which led to the pilots announcing a technical issue affecting the aircraft's safety monitoring systems. Lim Kai Yang, a passenger, said he assumed the crew was checking for a powerbank fire in the cabin, which was not the case. He noted that the in-flight entertainment and electricity were shut down following the announcement. He described the atmosphere as tense, with the crew instructing passengers to remain seated until the diversion was confirmed.

Emergency services were on site upon landing, as indicated by social media posts showing local fire, police, and ambulance personnel. SIA stated that it was investigating the cause of the smoke.

“Lim Kai Yang said he assumed the crew was checking for a powerbank fire in the cabin, which was not the case.”Lim Kai Yang, passenger

In response to the incident, SIA provided affected passengers with refreshments and arranged for a relief flight, which the airline said departed Rockhampton at 12:27 AM local time and arrived in Singapore at 5:46 AM Singapore time. The airline expressed its apologies for the inconvenience caused and sought the patience of passengers during the recovery process.

As of 6:45 PM on November 11, Lim was still at Rockhampton Airport awaiting the rescheduled flight, having received a light dinner while the situation was being managed.